Band 8 model answer

The environmental impact of livestock agriculture has become a central concern in discussions about climate change and sustainability. I largely agree that reducing meat consumption is essential for meeting environmental targets, and I believe governments have a meaningful role to play in bringing this about.

The environmental case for reducing meat consumption is well established. Livestock farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane from cattle, and accounts for a substantial share of global land use and freshwater consumption. The conversion of rainforest to pasture and feed-crop cultivation has driven significant biodiversity loss across South America and South-East Asia. Reducing per-capita meat consumption, particularly in high-income countries where current levels far exceed nutritional requirements, would meaningfully reduce pressure on all three of these critical systems.

Some qualification is necessary, however. Not all meat production carries the same environmental burden: extensive grazing on non-arable land can support biodiversity and contribute to carbon sequestration in some contexts. Subsistence communities dependent on animal husbandry should not be asked to bear the costs of transitions that wealthy consumers should be making first.

Governments can act through a combination of regulatory and economic instruments. Reducing agricultural subsidies that currently make meat artificially cheap, while redirecting support towards plant-based protein production, would allow market prices to better reflect environmental costs. A modest meat levy, with revenues recycled into lower food prices for fruit and vegetables, would guide purchasing decisions without creating regressive burdens. Public procurement policy, adjusting the balance of menus in schools, hospitals and government canteens, can shift demand at scale without compelling individual choice. Investment in research and infrastructure for alternative proteins, including cultivated meat and legume-based products, expands the viable options available to consumers.

Meaningful dietary transition is achievable, but only if policy creates the conditions in which sustainable choices become the default.